Female gardenia
Gardenia erubescens

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 1-2 m high. It branches from near the base. It loses its leaves during the year. The bark is pale yellow. Young shoots have a grey covering. The leaves are in rings of 3 at the ends of shoots. They are 12 cm long by 10 cm wide. They vary in shape. The flowers occur singly and are white to yellow. They have a scent. The tube of the flower is 5 cm long. The fruit are 3-5 cm long and oval but slightly bent. They are pale yellow when ripe.

There are about 200 Gardenia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in savannah and savannah woodland. It grows in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, East Africa, Mali, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for sauces and soups.

The fruit is not popular. Fruit tend to be available in the drier more hungry season.

Edible parts

Fruit pulp, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Baa, Boeli, Bu kookay ba nale, Dingale debbi, Gaude, Ishondou, Kingerr, M'boure mousso, Munameni, Shoondugh, Yirudia

Synonyms

Gardenia triacantha var. parvilimbis F. N. Williams;